Transcycle



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. J.- A. ENOS.

1 TRANSGYOLB. I No. 311,112. Patented Jan. 20, 1885.

WITNESSES (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. A. ENOS.

TRANSGYOLE. No. 311,112. Patented Jan. 20,1885.

WITNESSES W w W N. PETERS, Phowuum m hpr. Wnih nsien, D. C.

propelling the same on the track, all as here- 'periphery, which groovefits around the part UNITED; STATES v FFICE.

ATENT TRANSC'YCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,112, dated January20, 1885.

Application filed January 8, 1983. Renewed December ll, 188-1. (Non1odel.)

f0 all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat 1, JOHN A. Enos, of Peabody,in the county of Essex andState of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful ImprovementinTranscycles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end or edgeview. Fig. 3 is a top view of the saddle-frame. Fig. 4 is a crosssectionof the rail and the flange of the wheel. Fig. 5is a detail of one of thejournal bearings of the wheel-shaft.

My invention is designed to provide a speedy and easy means oftransportation, which I have styled the Transcyclc.

It consists of a single wheel mounted upon an elevated track, combinedwith a seat and a treadle or driving mechanism, located beneath thepoint of support and connected to the wheel by a peculiar trussed frameextending up on one side of the rail, and also by a gearing fortransmitting the power generated below to the wheel above for thepurpose of inafter more fully described.

In the drawings, A represents vertical posts or standards, havingoffsetting arms B fixed at right angles to the posts near the top, andstrengthened by braces G G. On the outer ends of these arms is supportedastringer or beam, D, upon which is laid the single rail E, the wholeforming an elevated single track. The general form of the rail incross-section is rightangular, one of its flanges being its base, bywhich itis bolted to the stringer, and the other flange standingVertical, and being formed with a round swell, a, (see Fig. 4,) at itsupper edge. Upon this rail is arranged a large wheel, F, which isunlimited as to size, and in this respect is unlike the wheel of theordinary bicycle, which is limited to the length required by ones legs.In other respects this wheel is like the ordinary bicycle-wheel, beingformed with radial spokes of steel wire and a grooved a of the rail.Projecting laterally from this wheel is a shaft, G, fixed rigidly to thesame, and carrying at its remote end a disk, 6, and

wheel-shaft G. Near the lower end of the main frame is the horizontalsaddle-frame I, (see Fig. 3,) which saddle-frame is bolted to the mainrod H and the braces c, and upon which is detachably clamped the saddleor seat 'J. At the extreme or lowest end of the main frame is anotherhorizontal frame, K, carrying two bearings, 99, in which is journaledthe doublecrank shaft L, carrying pedals z On one end of thiscrank-shaft is a disk, M, and wrist-pin j, to which latter is jointedthe lower end of a braced or skeleton connectingrod, N, which at itsupper end is jointed to the wrist-pin of the wheel-shaft. It willtherefore be seen that when the operator is seated on the saddle hiscenter of gravity will be approximately beneath the point of support ofthe wheel on the track, and the vertical position of the device will beperfectly main tained, and whenever power is applied through his feet tothe treadles the crank-shaft will be rotated and the power transferredto the wheel-shaft above through the connectingrod to cause a travel ofthe wheel over the track with its subjacent load.

The device as thus described forms a very light, easily-driven means oftransportation, and one capable of great speed without danger of beingupset.

I do not confine myself to any particular means for driving the device,and instead of the treadle may employ any light motor. I may also,instead of using a connectingrod for transmitting power from the lowerto the upper shaft, employ a shaft with bevel-wheels, a flexibleshaftcoupling, a belt, or any other equivalent means for transmittingthe motion. I may also make the connecting-rod to vibrate about itscenter to cause its upper end to pass the dead-centers. This may beeffected by a slot in the connecting-rod and a fixed pin on the framepassing through it, or by a pin on the connecting-rod and a slot in theframe.

I am aware of the fact that a basket has been suspended upon a flexiblecable by a wheel,

and a belt provided for the rotation of said wheel, and I do not claimsuch arrangement.

My invention is distinctive in the peculiar construction of the lightskeleton trussed frame connecting the wheel above to the seat anddriving mechanism below, which frame is sufficiently light as not tomaterially aifect the relation of the center of gravity of the rider tothe point of support, and yet is sufficiently rigid by reason of itstrussed or braced character as to permit the frame to extend wholly uponone side of the rider and the rail and still resist any tendency tobend.

Having thus described my invent-ion, what I claim as new is- 1. Thecombination, with a supportingwheel and a subjacent seat or saddle, ofalight JOHN AUGUSTUS ENOS.

Vitnesses:

EDWD. W. BYRN, SoLoN O. KEMON.

